Martin Harris Lived to 92

I am now the Sunday School teacher for the adults at church.  I am selfish I am afraid.  I am learning so much about the early days of the church and have the freedom to learn and teach, what I like using the manual, messages from our leaders, and conference talks as my guides.  Well, really, what I like because it seems to be how the Spirit directs me.  I think the Spririt directs, I feel happy, and so that is what I teach. It is a marvelous experience to work on my spiritual "tuning,"  or to pray for direction and learn what is my own words as opposed to the Spirit.  No excuses for falling asleep.

In today's lesson, Moroni visited the boy Joseph Smith when he was just 17 years old and told him of the plates, and taught him more of his divine purpose.  We also talked about the lost 116 pages of manuscript.  I learned about Martin Harris.  He was the one that financially made the printing of the Book of Mormon possible.  He mortgaged his farm and house.  He wrote down the translations.  Unfortunately, we often think of him as the man that lost the 116 pages, and don't think of his other good things.  Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a great talk about this in April 1999.  Here is the link:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/04/the-witness-martin-harris?lang=eng

Martin Harris, after losing the 116 pages, still was faithful, repented, and was one of the three witnesses of the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon is translated.  He was baptized into the church on its day of organization, April 6, 1830.  He served missions, supported the prophet and the church, and was known as an honest man.  The three witnesses, which included Martin Harris, searched out the first Apostles of the church and ordained them.

In 1837, he was excommunicated.  He said that he lost faith in Joseph Smith and that his mind became darkened (see Elder Oak's talk for references).

When most of the saints went to Missouri, Nauvoo, and the West, he stayed behind, but was rebaptized by a missionary in 1842.  His wife and kids went to the West in 1856, but being 73, he stayed behind in Kirtland.  He acted as a self-appointed guide and caretaker to the temple there. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenlund/7984551190/)


At 87 he finally went to Utah to be reunited with his family, escorted by one of the Presidents of the Seventy, with a ticket paid by Brigham Young.  He died in Utah at 92.

He is more than the guy that lost the 116 pages.  He is an example that we can keep trying and progressing.  He never denied seeing the gold plates.  He is an example that sometimes our faith becomes stretched, but we can rekindle that faith.  He is an example that there is hope for everyone, regardless of what circumstances life brings to us.